How to Cook Fish on the Grill

Backyard grills are often associated with beef and pork, namely steaks and ribs. But when done properly, the delicate, flaky texture and relatively mild taste of fish plays well off the smoky, charred quality grills impart to food. Any cut of fish -- whole, fillets or steaks -- holds up well to the direct heat of the grill, but fillets often need gentle handling to prevent tearing. You must wait until the fillets firm up, usually after several minutes of cooking, before turning them over. Although fish steaks and whole fish have more resiliency than fillets, you should still exercise finesse when turning them.

Things You'll Need

Paring knife
Olive oil

1 tbsp. unsalted butter
Meat thermometer

Whole Fish

Heat your gas grill to medium or add 30 briquettes to your charcoal grill tray and light. Cover the grill and allow it to heat for 15 minutes.
Cut several parallel cuts 1/4-inch deep in both sides of the fish with a paring knife to accommodate the shrinking that occurs during cooking. Coat the whole fish with a thin layer of olive oil and season it with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Place 1 tbsp. of unsalted butter in the recess left from cleaning the fish.
Position the fish in the center of the grill and cover. Grill the fish for 10 minutes, then turn it. Continue cooking an additional 10 minutes.

Steaks and Fillets

Heat the grill to medium and cover. Allow the grill to heat for 15 minutes.
Coat the fish fillet or fish steak with a thin layer of olive oil and season it to taste. Place the fillet on the grill.
Grill the fish steaks eight minutes or until they have an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook the fish fillets for nine minutes or until they have an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit. Turn the steaks and fillets over halfway through grilling.

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